Toy bank

ABSTRACT

A spherical structure embodying two hollow hemispherical shells which collectively provide a chamber, said shells being held with their diametrical sides engaged for sliding movement in the plane of their diametrical sides between closed and open positions, internally disposed locking means adapted to be shifted by manipulation of the structure to a position to release the parts to permit moving the parts to an open position, said parts when displaced to said open position providing a slot through which coins may be deposited into the chamber, and a normally closed closure adapted to be opened when the parts occupy a predetermined position to enable removing the content of the chamber therefrom.

[451 Mar. 21, 1972 [54] TOY BANK [72] Inventor: Marshall J. La. Montague, 106 Connolly Road, Avon, Mass. 02322 [22] Filed: Jan. 2, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 367

1,733,772 10/1929 Battershell 5.:

Saathoff ..206/ 1.5 X La Montague ..273/ 156 Primary Examiner-william T. Dixson, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman Attorney-Roberts, Cushman & Grover [57] ABSTRACT A spherical structure embodying two hollow hemispherical shells which collectively provide a chamber, said shells being held with their diametrical sides engaged for sliding movement in the plane of their diametrical sides between closed and open positions, internally disposed locking means adapted to be shifted by manipulation of the structure to a position to release the parts to pennit moving the parts to an open position, said parts when displaced to said open position providing a slot through which coins may be deposited into the chamber, and a non'nally closed closure adapted to be opened when the parts occupy a predetermined position to enable removing the content of the chamber therefrom.

13 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures Patented March 21, 1972 3,650,379

2 Shark-Shut l TOY BANK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Savings banks designed to encourage children to save small change are made in many forms, some with exteriors designed to simulate historical and/or current figures and/or events and others with intricate locking means to make it difficult to assemble and/or disassemble the component parts so that it is not too easy to remove the coins after they have been deposited. Puzzles designed solely to simulate the ingenuity of children in disassembling and re-assembling its parts are-also well-known, for example, such a structure is shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 2,794,645. This invention has for its purpose to com-- bine in one structure a novel bank for encouraging saving and at the same time a puzzle-like structure which is intriguing because of its intricacy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As herein illustrated the structure comprises hollow hemispherical parts which collectively form a chamber, the parts being supported with their diametrical sides coinciding and movable relative to each other between registering an offset positions, on the one hand to prevent making a deposit in the chamber and on the other hand to permit making a deposit in the chamber and means confined within the parts movable in relation thereto to hold the parts locked in registration and to unlock the parts to permit displacement of the parts relative to each other, comprising a ball supported in a pocket partlyin each of the parts, a passage situated exclusively in one part in communication with the part of the pocket therein through which the ball is adapted to be displaced by manipulation of the structure to cause the ball to travel away from the pocket and into a second pocket confined exclusively in the one part, the second pocket being adapted to retain the ball until the structure is manipulated to displace it, whereby the parts are unlocked and free to be moved relative to each other to an offset position. A lateral passage extends from the second pocket and is adapted to conduct the ball by tilting of the structure to one orthe other of third and fourth pockets, the lateral passage being adapted to deliver the ball to the third pocket when the parts are in registration and to the fourth pocket when the parts are displaced, in each of which it locks the parts against movement relative to each other. The structure also embodies a fifth pocket which holds a second ball. The fifth pocket is deep enough so that the second ball is isolated and held inoperative so long as the structure is held upright.

By inverting the structure the ball in the fifth pocket may be dropped partly into a sixth pocket to lock the parts against displacement. A spindle is mounted in one of the parts and supports a closure in the wall of the structure. The spindle is operable by rotation when the parts are situated at a predetermined position of displacement relative to each other to unlock the closure and permit it to be opened.

The invention will not be described in reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the structure showing the upper and lower hollow hemispherical parts of which it is comprised in registration.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure showing the upper hemispherical part displaced relative to the lower hemispherical part to expose a coin slot in the lower hemispherical part through which coins may be inserted.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section to larger scale taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section to larger scale taken on the line 44 FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 66 of FIG. 7

FIG. 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 77 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 8- 8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of that part of the interior locking means associated with the upper hemispherical part of the structure removed from the structure.

FIG. 10 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 10-10ofFIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a vertical section taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 9, showing the locking means of the two hemispherical parts removed therefrom.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary section similar to FIG. 3 showing the bottom closure in an open position; and

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary plan view at the top of FIG. 12.

Referring to the drawings FIG. 1 shows a spherical structure 10, comprised of upper and lower hollow hemispherical parts 12 and 14, supported with their diametrical sides coinciding to collectively provide an interior chamber 16 (FIG. 3) and provided on the lower hemispherical part with a cylindrical or disclike base 18 upon which it rests. The base 18 as will appear hereinafter, constitutes a closure for an opening 20 provided in the wall at the bottom of the lower hemispherical part.

The upper and lower hemispherical parts 12 and 14 are movable from a position of registration as shown in FIG. 1 to offset positions relative to each other as shown in FIG. 2 to expose as shown in FIG. 2 a slot 22 through which coins may be inserted for deposit in the chamber 16.

To make the structure attractive and to provide the incentive for its use, as well as to encourage saving and to discourage removing the deposited coins, the structure is exteriorly decorated and interiorally provided with locking means which requires considerable ingenuity to effect opening and closing of the structure. The exterior decoration is designed to simulate the peck-marked appearance of the surface of the moon as currently depicted in photographs made of the moons surface and is colored on one diametrical side with a mottled gray depicting the dark side of the moon and on the other side with a mottled yellow depicting the light side of the moon. The locking means for securing the hemispherical parts in registration is designed to respond to manipulation of the structure by tilting forwardly and rearwardly and from side to side to lockand release the parts and upon a certain disposition of the parts to enable opening the bottom closure to permit removing the accumulated coins.

Referring to FIG. 3 the locking structure comprises a part 24a which sets into the open diametrical side of the lower hemispherical part 14 with its upper surface 26a flush with the edge 28a of the part 14 and a cooperating part 24b which sets into the open diametrical side of the upper hemispherical part 12 with its upper surface 261; fiush with the edge 28b of the part 12.

The part 24a (FIGS. 3, 4, and 7) is removable mounted in the part 14 by means of four integrally formed downwardly extending dowel like pins 30 seated in holes 32 provided in bosses 34 formed interiorally of the part 14. The part 24a has on its upper surface 26a a diametrically disposed track 36 (FIG. 7) having undercut transversely spaced parallel edges 38-38. Centrally of the part 24a there is a circular hole 40 the upper end of which has a semicircular shoulder 42 and the lower end of which has a semicircular shoulder 44. At the upper end of the hole 40 and in the plane of the semicircular shoulder 42 there are diametrically extending slots 46 and 48 (FIG. 7). In the surface of the track 36 along one side there are three holes 45, 47 and 49 and at the other side a single hole 51. The hole 45, 47 and 51 are substantially hemispherical so that a ball seated in these holes projects above the upper surface of the track 36. The hole 49 is deep enough so that a ball deposited therein will be situated entirely below the surface of the track 36.

The coin slot 22 is in the part 24a and extends all the way through from the upper surface of the track 36 to the lower side of the part 24a and hence provides for inserting coins through the part 24a into the chamber 16.

The part 24b FIG. 9 is removable fixed in the upper hemispherical part 12 by engagement of three integrally dowel like pins 58 with holes 60 form in bosses at the inner side of the upper hemispherical part 12. The part 24b has at its underside a longitudinally extending recess 60.1 the opposite edges of which are undercut at 62-62 for sliding engagement with the undercut edges 38-38 of the track 36 so that when the parts 24a and 24b are interengaged they hold the hemispherical parts together while permitting their movements from positions of registration-as shown in FIG. 1 to offset positions as shown in FIG. 2. The lower side of the part 24b also contains a tongue 64 longitudinally thereof which engages the slot 48 in the part 24a and a hyphenated tongue 66 which engages the slot 46 in the part 240. In the tongue 64 there is a longitudinally extending slot 68 and in the bottom of the slot 48 there is a hole 70 through which a limit pin 72 is adapted to be inserted from the lower side part 24a through the slot 48 and into the slot 68 of. the part 2412 after the two parts have been interengaged to limit the displacement of the parts relative to each other.

The part 24b has a hole 71 through it which registers with the hole 51 in the part 24a, a groove 73 extending rearwardly therefrom to a pocket 75 in the part 24b and a transverse groove 77 extending from the pocket 75 to a hole 79 through the part 24b. When the parts 12 and 14 are in registration the hole 79 is in registration with the hole 47 and when the parts 12 and 14 are displaced the hole 79 is in registration with the hole 45.

The part 24b also contains a hole 81 (FIGS. 9 and 11) through it, a pocket 83 in its surface adjacent thereto and connected thereto by a groove 86 and a pocket 87 in its underside and when the parts 12 and 14 are in registration the pocket 87 is in registration with the hole 49 and when they are offset the pocket 87 is in registration with the hole 47. At this position the hole 81 is in registration with the pocket 49.

A cap 90 having right angularly disposed hollow arms 92 and 94 is fastened to the upper side of the part 24b over the hole 71, pocket 75 and hole 79 by pins 92.10 and provides pockets 72a, 76a and 80a connected by passages 73a and 77a. A cap 94 is also fastened to the upper side of the part 24b over the pocket 83 and hole 81 85 by pins 96 and provides a pocket 850 the ends of which terminate respectively above the hole 81 and the pocket 83. With the parts assembled so that the hole 71 in the part 24b is aligned with the hole 51 in the part 240 and with a ball b in each of the pockets 49 and 51 and with the caps 90 and 94 fixed in position the composite parts of the structure are operatively associated. Manipulation may be effected as follows:

Holding the structure upright in the position illustrated in FIG. 1 the two balls b occupy the pockets 49 and 51. The ball in the pocket 49 at this time because of the depth of this pocket is isolated and performs no function. The ball in the pocket 51 projects partly into the hole 71 and hence prevents displacement of the part 24b relative to the part 240 so that it is not possible to displace the. upper hemispherical part 12 relative to the lower hemispherical part 14. If the structure is tilted rearwardly sufficiently the ball may be displaced upwardly through the hole 71 into the passage 73 and rearwardly therealong into the pocket 75 so that it is entirely in the part 24b and the latter may therefore be moved rearwardly with respect to the part 24a and consequently the hemispherical part 12 can be moved rearwardly with respect to the hemispherical part 14, thus exposing the slot 22 as shown in FIG. 2 to permit coins to bedeposited in the chamber 16. If however the structure is not held on an even keel while tilting back the ball may roll laterally and drop into the hole 47 and thus prevent displacement of the parts. If the parts have been successfully displaced and coins deposited and the structure has not been tilted the parts may be moved back to their original position to become relocked by tilting the structure forwardly. If displaced and while displaced the structure is tilted to one side the ball may be transferred through the groove 77 into the hole 45 and thus lock the hemispherical parts in their displaced position. To return the parts to their closed position the structure must then be tilted to the right to cause the ball to return through the groove 77, pocket 75, groove 73 and hole 71 to the pocket hole 51.

If the person manipulating the structure should invert, that is turn it upside down, hoping that in some way this would enable displacing the parts and effect opening, the ball in the pocket 49 will fall partly into the pocket 87 and thus prevent the parts 24a and 24b from being displaced relative to each other which prevents opening the structure. Also, after the parts 24a and 24b are displaced relative to each other such inversion will drop the ball partly into thehole 81 and hence prevent relative movement of the parts.

As related above, the base 18 comprises a closure for an opening 20 in the wall at the bottom of the lower hemispherical part 14 and as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 12 is in the form of a disc (FIGS. 3 and 12) which fits into the hole 20 and has on its lower surface a piece of felt 93 or other soft material so that it will not scratch the surface of a table or other piece of furniture on which it is placed. The closure 18 is held in place by a spindle 92.1 the lower end of which is recessed into its inner side and held therein by a screw bolt 94.1. The upper portion of the spindle 92.1 extends through a sleevelike bushing 96.1 formed integral with the underside of the part 240 in concentric relation to the hole 40 therein and has at its upper end a semicircular head 98 (FIG. 13) containing a diametrically disposed slot 100, the width of which corresponds substantially to the width of the slot 46 and to the hyphenated tongue 66. The head 98 is larger in diameter than the spindle 92.1 so that its peripheral edge 102 projects laterally therefrom and by engagement with the semicircular shoulder 42 at the top of the hole 40 holds the spindle in its elevated position in which position the closure disc 90.1 is engaged with the hole 20. By rotating the spindle 92 to disengage the head 98 from the shoulder 42 as shown in FIG. 12 it may be dropped down onto the shoulder 44 and in this position the closure disc 90.1 is displaced downwardly from the opening 20 to enable removing coins from the chamber 16. The head 98 as related contains a slot and when the parts 24a and 24b are aligned, that is when the hemispherical upper end lower parts of the structure are aligned, the hyphenated tongue 66 occupies the slot 100 so that it is impossible to rotate the spindle 92.1 and hence to lower the closure disc to an open position. If the upper hemispherical part 12 of the structure is moved rearwardly with reference to the. lower part 14 to a position such as to expose the slot 22, the hyphenated tongue 66 becomes disengaged from the slot 100 and the spindle may then be rotated sufficiently to disengage the head 98 from the shoulder 42 to thus permit the spindle to be lowered. Short of such displacement the spindle can be partially rotated but not sufficiently to permit lowering it. Desirably, there may be placed on the lower hemispherical part 14 index buttons 104 and 106 to indicate the position to which the closure 18 must be rotated to release it and this in turn has index buttons 108 and 110 registrable with the index buttons 104 and 106.

I claim:

1. A structure comprising hollow parts having open sides, said parts being supported open side to open side for-movement relative to each other between positions in which the parts are in registration and positions in which the parts are displaced relative to each other and means confined within the parts, said means beingmovable in relation thereto on the one hand to lock the parts in registration and on the other hand to unlock the parts to permit displacement, comprising a ball supported partly in a pocket in one part and partly in a hole in the other part and a passage situated exclusively in said other part in communication with the hole in the other part into which the ball is adapted to be deposited by manipulation of the structure to dislodge it from the pocket through the hole into the passage and to cause it to travel away from said pocket and into a second pocket exclusively within said other part, said second pocket being adapted to retain said ball until the structure is manipulated to displace it therefrom, whereby said parts are unlocked and free to be moved relative to each other.

2. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said other part contains a second passage extending laterally from the second pocket through which the ball is adapted to be displaced, and the one part contains third and fourth pockets into which the ball is adapted to be dropped by manipulation of the structure to lock the parts relative to each other, said lateral passage being adapted to carry the ball to the third pocket when the parts are in registration and to the fourth pocket when the parts are displaced.

3..A structure according to claim 2, wherein the other part contains a hole at the distal end of the second passage through which the ball is adapted to drop into the third or fourth pocket.

4. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said one part contains a fifth pocket within which a second ball is supported in isolation so long as the structure is held upright, and said other part contains a sixth pocket aligned with the fifth pocket when the parts are in registration into which said second ball is adapted to be dropped by inverting the structure so as to be partly in the fifth and partly in the sixth pockets hence to lock the parts in registration in said inverted position.

5. A structure according to claim 1, comprising slideably interengaged parts fixed in the open sides of the hollow parts by means of which the hollow parts are held to together for movement between registering and displaced positions, said interengaging parts containing said pockets, holes and passages.

6. A structure according to claim 5, wherein the holes, pockets and passages in said other part are capped.

7. A structure according to claim 5, comprising means limiting movement of the slideably interengaged parts.

8. A structure according to claim 7, wherein said means comprises a pin fixed in one part and extending into a slot in the other part.

9. A structure according to claim 1, comprising slideably disposed parts containing respectively a tongue and groove having interengaged dove-tailed parts by means of which the parts are held together.

10. A structure according to claim 1, wherein the hollow parts are hemispherical.

11. A structure according to claim 1, wherein the hollow parts are hemispherical and the surfaces of the hemispherical parts are designed to simulate the surface of the moon and to depict the dark and light side thereof.

12. A structure according to claim 1, wherein one of the hollow parts contains an opening and wherein the means confined within the parts comprises slideably interengaged parts one of which contains a hole around a portion of which is an annular shoulder, a spindle is supported in the hole having a head at one end provided with an annular shoulder around a portion of it which is adapted to rest on said annular shoulder in the hole to support the spindle at a predetermined level in the hole, a closure is secured to the other end of the spindle and supported thereby when the spindle is at said predetermined level in the hole, said spindle being rotatable to disengage said shoulders to permit the spindle to be dropped down in the hole to disengage the closure from the hole, and means on the head and the other of the interengageable parts, interengageable when the parts are in registration to prevent rotation of the spindle and when the parts are moved to a predetermined displaced position to permit the head to be rotated to disengage said shoulders.

13. A structure according to claim 12, comprising index means on the outside of the structure for indicating the degree of rotation of the closure necessary to effect disengagement of v the shoulders. 

1. A structure comprising hollow parts having open sides, said parts being supported open side to open side for movement relative to each other between positions in which the parts are in registration and positions in which the parts are displaced relative to each other and means confined within the parts, said means being movable in relation thereto on the one hand to lock the parts in registration and on the other hand to unlock the parts to permit displacement, comprising a ball supported partly in a pocket in one part and partly in a hole in the other part and a passage situated exclusively in said other part in communication with the hole in the other part into which the ball is adapted to be deposited by manipulation of the structure to dislodge it from the pocket through the hole into the passage and to cause it to travel away from said pocket and into a second pocket exclusively within said other part, said second pocket being adapted to retain said ball until the structure is manipulated to displace it therefrom, whereby said parts are unlocked and free to be moved relative to each other.
 2. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said other part contains a second passage extending laterally from the second pocket through which the ball is adapted to be displaced, and the one part contains third and fourth pockets into which the ball is adapted to be dropped by manipulation of the structure to lock the parts relative to each other, said lateral passage being adapted to carry the ball to the third pocket when the parts are in registration and to the fourth pocket when the parts are displaced.
 3. A structure according to claim 2, wherein the other part contains a hole at the distal end of the second passage through which the ball is adapted to drop into the third or fourth pocket.
 4. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said one part contains a fifth pocket within which a second ball is supported in isolation so long as the structure is held upright, and said other part contains a sixth pocket aligned with the fifth pocket when the parts are in registration into which said second ball is adapted to be dropped by inverting the structure so as to be partly in the fifth and partly in the sixth pockets hence to lock the parts in registration in said inverted position.
 5. A structure according to claim 1, comprising slideably interengaged parts fixed in the open sides of the hollow parts by means of which the hollow parts are held to together for movement between registering and displaced positions, said interengaging parts containing said pockets, holes and passages.
 6. A structure according to claim 5, wherein the holes, pockets and passages in said other part are capped.
 7. A structure according to claiM 5, comprising means limiting movement of the slideably interengaged parts.
 8. A structure according to claim 7, wherein said means comprises a pin fixed in one part and extending into a slot in the other part.
 9. A structure according to claim 1, comprising slideably disposed parts containing respectively a tongue and groove having interengaged dove-tailed parts by means of which the parts are held together.
 10. A structure according to claim 1, wherein the hollow parts are hemispherical.
 11. A structure according to claim 1, wherein the hollow parts are hemispherical and the surfaces of the hemispherical parts are designed to simulate the surface of the moon and to depict the dark and light side thereof.
 12. A structure according to claim 1, wherein one of the hollow parts contains an opening and wherein the means confined within the parts comprises slideably interengaged parts one of which contains a hole around a portion of which is an annular shoulder, a spindle is supported in the hole having a head at one end provided with an annular shoulder around a portion of it which is adapted to rest on said annular shoulder in the hole to support the spindle at a predetermined level in the hole, a closure is secured to the other end of the spindle and supported thereby when the spindle is at said predetermined level in the hole, said spindle being rotatable to disengage said shoulders to permit the spindle to be dropped down in the hole to disengage the closure from the hole, and means on the head and the other of the interengageable parts, interengageable when the parts are in registration to prevent rotation of the spindle and when the parts are moved to a predetermined displaced position to permit the head to be rotated to disengage said shoulders.
 13. A structure according to claim 12, comprising index means on the outside of the structure for indicating the degree of rotation of the closure necessary to effect disengagement of the shoulders. 